They'd always surface again, though, those mysteries.
-- Narrator (Mysteries)

Importance: While growing up in the bungalow with her mother and grandmother, Saoirse quickly learns that mysteries define her reality. Although Nana and Eileen are always talking, Saoirse is not always able to discern the contents or the meaning of their conversations. This line therefore is introducing the reader to the author's thematic considerations regarding mystery. At the same time, the line clarifies the narrator's tendency to withhold information, as she is representing the world according to Saoirse's limited understanding of it.

Stories were everywhere.
-- Narrator (Stories)

Importance: Because Saoirse is raised by her mother and her grandmother, she comes to rely upon these two women for her understanding of the world and herself. Nana and Eileen are constantly talking, reminiscing, gossiping, and sharing stories together. Their penchant for storytelling, therefore, inflects Saoirse's experience of the world throughout her childhood and adolescence. This moment introduces the author's...